The latest on California politics and government

August 26, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - As the welcome party for the Republican National Convention got going this evening at Tropicana Field, Steve Lucas, a delegate from Orinda, stood in right field wearing an "Obama sucks" button, which seemed to sum up the feeling of many partygoers here.

Lucas, a partner at the powerhouse Sacramento law firm Nielsen, Merksamer, Parrinellow, Gross & Leoni LLP, was unusually precise in his explanation.

"Why Obama sucks?" he said. "He sucks on the economy, because he hasn't created a new job in 3 Â½ years. He sucks on foreign policy because he leads from behind, and he's an amateur."

Lucas was standing just shy of the warning track, and a party official standing nearby remarked about how on point he was.

The conversation then turned to the small town where Lucas lives, and it became clear he is not in all areas a partisan. He said he is a supporter of the city's mayor, Steve Glazer, who happens to be Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown's top political adviser. He even favors local tax measures.

Lucas didn't have a button for it, but he said of Glazer, "He's a great mayor."